Tokyo Marathon

The Tokyo Marathon is the largest marathon race in all of Asia, boasting an impressive 30,000 places for runners. With a lottery system used to select runners from the hundreds of thousands of applicants, Japan is definitely a nation of people who love to run. This relatively new event is held in the month of February, which is a great time for marathoning, given the mean temperature of 7 degrees Celsius.

Japan is known for its elite marathon races, which typically possess strict qualifying standards. Yet Tokyo Marathon stands apart from other mass races and elite races alike, being the only one in Japan to encompass an extensive elite field and a large base of participants. The Tokyo Marathon is further distinguished by its theme, “The Day We Unite,” which invites not only runners, but also volunteers and spectators to join forces on race day.